Statewatch, 14 September 2002
1. US government vetoes Statewatch request for access to EU-US
agendas
2. All refugees and asylum-seekers to be vetted under new EU
terrorism policy
3. New EU Regulation on access to documents - first assessment
US GOVERNMENT VETOES STATEWATCH REQUEST FOR
ACCESS TO EU-US AGENDAS
- Council of European Union says it has no choice but to back US
veto
- Refusal of access follows two successful complaints to the
European Ombudsman
- Decision would exclude from access any document on
international policy vetoed by third parties
The US government has vetoed a request by Statewatch to the
Council of the European Union (the 15 EU governments) for access
to copies of the agendas of the "Senior Level Group" and the "EU-
US Task Force". The Council has says it has no option but to deny
access. The agendas cover a wide range of global issues including
policing and immigration, trade and aid.
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor comments:
"This decision confirms our worst fears on the implementation of
the new Regulation on public access to EU documents, namely
that third states or organisations will have an absolute right to veto
access by EU citizens to documents which third parties have
authored, or co-authored, and which are the basis of, or an
influence on, EU decision-making.
If this decision stands it will remove whole swathes of documents
from public scrutiny on all aspects of international policy making
and practice and yet again undermine democratic standards and
accountability. We have lodged an appeal against the Council's
decision and will, if necessary, take the issue to the European
Ombudsman or the Court of Justice."
In July last year - after a four year fight and two successful
complaints to the European Ombudsman - Statewatch finally
obtained the agendas of ten EU-US high-level planning meetings
between September 1996 and February 1998. The agendas
concern meetings of the "Senior Level Group" and the "EU-US
Task Force" set up under the New Transatlantic Agenda agreed in
1995.
The full report is on:
<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/jan/03usveto.htm>
NOTE: Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, will be attending a press
conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg at 5pm on
Monday 14 September on the subject of EU openness
ALL REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS TO BE VETTED
UNDER NEW EU TERRORISM POLICY
Statewatch has published a report on four new policies adopted by
the Council of the European Union on 27 December by "written
procedure". The two of the measures adopted are Common
Positions (under Articles 15 and 34 of the Treaty on European
Union).
The effect of the "Common Position on combating terrorism" is that
it will be binding on EU member states to vet all refugees and
asylum-seekers to ensure that they have not facilitated or
participated in terrorist acts.
The Common Position also widens the definition of terrorism to
include "any form of support, active or passive".
EU policies agreed as Common Positions are not referred to the
European Parliament for its opinion and their validity and effect
cannot be challenged in the European Court of Justice.
The full report is on:
<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/jan/02euter.htm>
NEW EU REGULATION ON ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS - FIRST
ASSESSMENT
- the first major problem is going to be what will, and what will not,
be on the public registers of documents
- the second will be the exclusion of "internal documents"
- the third will be the right of "third parties" (like the US) to veto
access to EU documents
The new Regulation (1049/2001) on public access to EU
documents came into effect on Monday 3 December 2001. The
position and practice of the Council of the European Union is pretty
clear. Its internal rules of procedure follow almost exactly the terms
of the new Regulation. The Council also has had a public register of
documents on the internet since January 1999.
The positions of the European Commission and the European
Parliament are less clear especially as neither has a public register
of documents. Both are obliged to make available a public register
by June 2002.
The full report is on:
<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/jan/04access.htm>
To have your address removed from this list please let us know by
e-mailing us at <office {AT} statewatch.org>
_______________________________________________
Nettime-bold mailing list
Nettime-bold {AT} nettime.org
http://amsterdam.nettime.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nettime-bold